Folio from a Rawdat al-safa by Mirkhwand (d. 1498); verso: The Caliph Mansur and Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq; recto: The Story of Imam Ja’far al-Sadeq

Folio from a dispersed copy of Rawdat Al-Safa Fi Sirat Al-Anbiya Wa ‘l-Muluk Wa ‘l-khulafa (Garden of Purity) by Muhammad b. Khwandshah (known as Mirkhwand); Persian in black nasta’liq script; heading in blue; recto: The Story of Imam Ja’far al- Sadeq, one column, twenty-five lines; verso: The Caliph Mansur and Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq; one of a group of twenty; surface worn.
Border: The painting is set in gold, red, and black rulings on a paper with landscape and animal motifs; the text is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on cream-colored paper.

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Maker(s)
Calligrapher: Inayatullah al-katib al-Shirazi
Author: Khwandshah (Mirkhwand)
Historical period(s)
Safavid period, 1571-1572
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 41.2 x 27.3 cm (16 1/4 x 10 3/4 in)
Geography
Iran, Shiraz
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1986.243
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Detached manuscript folio

Keywords
Caliph, Henri Vever collection, history, Imam, Iran, Islam, Safavid period (1501 - 1722), WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Folio from a dispersed copy of Rawdat Al-Safa Fi Sirat Al-Anbiya Wa 'l-Muluk Wa 'l-khulafa (Garden of Purity) by Muhammad b. Khwandshah (known as Mirkhwand); Persian in black nasta'liq script; heading in blue; recto: The Story of Imam Ja'far al- Sadeq, one column, twenty-five lines; verso: The Caliph Mansur and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq; one of a group of twenty; surface worn.
Border: The painting is set in gold, red, and black rulings on a paper with landscape and animal motifs; the text is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on cream-colored paper.

Published References
  • Glenn D. Lowry, Milo Cleveland Beach, Elisabeth West FitzHugh, Susan Nemanzee, Janet Snyder. An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection. Washington and Seattle. cat. 230, p. 194.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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